Today, the National Union of Students Women’s Department has released the results from the 2015 ‘Talk About It,’ survey, revealing a range of alarming statistics about the experiences of women studying at Australian Universities.
The NUS ‘Talk About It’ survey collected information about the experiences of women university student’s in Australia, looking at accommodation, safety, student services, sexual assault, harassment and economic difficulties that women enrolled in tertiary education institutions face.
In the survey, it was found that women students have a range of experiences which impact on their ability to participate in and succeed at university including financial difficulties, health problems and family responsibilities.
Over 70% of respondents also said that they had experience some form of sexually harassed while studying
The President of the National Union of Students, Sinead Colee said, “the survey has a number of implications for universities and their provision of student services”.
While many of the women who participated in the survey said that student services such as financial aid and counselling were of assistance; many said that the assistance they received from their university were inadequate or unhelpful.
“When such a large number of women are still feeling that their cases are not serious enough to report (81%), universities need to have a complete overhaul of what can be very haphazard reporting processes and provide improved safety measures, such as increased lighting and security.”
“It is clear, now more than ever, that universities must do more for women on campuses so that they feel safe and able to complete their studies.”
A copy of the Talk About It Survey report can be found at http://www.nus.org.au/women_s
Sinead Colee National President | National Union of Students
